Rifle Scopes Steiner T5xi 5-25x56 FFP vs Nightforce NXS 3.5-15x50 SFP on POF P308

[Guyotrd]

I have a POF P308 with a 20in barrel and I also have the two scopes in the title and would appreciate opinions on which one to use for this rifle.

The Rifle is used for Target/Tactical/SHTF and possibly as a medium range hunting platform. It shoots ELD X 178 at 2580 and I am capable of 1 MOA on a good day. I upgraded the trigger to the POF 3.5 lb and it has a Magpul PRS gen 3 stock so it is a bit heavy.

The way I see it is :

Steiner has better glass, better reticle (SCR) as oppossed to NPR-1, brighter and is FFP which I am migrating everything over 8 power to.

Nightforce is indestructible, power more suited to this caliber and I like the turret spacing better and it seems more common to have this power on a semi auto 308.

As they both can be sold or bought for around the same price - 1200 -1500 I am torn and would appreciate some comments.

I replaced the T5xi with an M5xi 5x25 on my long range custom build and so need to make a decision. I also have another T5xi which will go to my son for his Bergara HMR so we can take long range classes and shoot together.

Thanks for any opinions.

 

[1911hombre]

I had a T5Xi and was very unimpressed with the glass. I am surprised you think the glass is better than your NXS. I got mine on a trade and really wanted it to work out but after mounting it and spending some time looking through it I sold it without ever heading to the range. If I was going to chime in on your question I would say to send the Steiner down the road and take that money and go with either a Razor Gen II 1-6, or if you want a little more mag a MK5 3.6-18x44 or for a little more moola an ATACR 4-16x42. i've had a couple P-308's and though solid and reliable (at least mine were) their accuracy threshold doesn't require a ton of mag. IMHO disclaimer.

 

[motorcycleboy]

I have a POF P308 with a 20in barrel and I also have the two scopes in the title and would appreciate opinions on which one to use for this rifle.

The Rifle is used for Target/Tactical/SHTF and possibly as a medium range hunting platform. It shoots ELD X 178 at 2580 and I am capable of 1 MOA on a good day. I upgraded the trigger to the POF 3.5 lb and it has a Magpul PRS gen 3 stock so it is a bit heavy.

The way I see it is :

Steiner has better glass, better reticle (SCR) as oppossed to NPR-1, brighter and is FFP which I am migrating everything over 8 power to.

Nightforce is indestructible, power more suited to this caliber and I like the turret spacing better and it seems more common to have this power on a semi auto 308.

As they both can be sold or bought for around the same price - 1200 -1500 I am torn and would appreciate some comments.

I replaced the T5xi with an M5xi 5x25 on my long range custom build and so need to make a decision. I also have another T5xi which will go to my son for his Bergara HMR so we can take long range classes and shoot together.

Thanks for any opinions.

I’m not sure how anybody could answer this better than you could having both in hand?

 

[Guyotrd]

Good point - except sometime there is useful information like - "Yeah, I dropped my Steiner two feet on the rocks while grabbing my sandwich on an Elk hunt and the turrets broke" or "I used a second focal plane for years and after going to FFP there was no looking back." (just made up examples)

It seems that everyone get's hung up on the glass quality and where, providing it is high quality, things like the ruggedness of the scope and accuracy of the turrets are critical. On my spotting scope and Bino's as well as camera I do indeed rank glass quality very high.

I will not be able to attempt long range shooting until this summer - so I am not sure what kind of power I will need. On the 300 yd Elk shots my son cranks it up while I prefer about 10 power so there is less shake.

On a side note - I have a cow farm 350 yds out my window. I just spent 30 minutes before sunset until pitch dark looking between my M5xi 5x25, the T5xi 5x25 and a Bushnell LRTS 4.5x18 on a big sand bag side by side - The cows are black so it was a perfect test.

I honestly thought the T5xi was better image quality, more forgiving eyebox and less CA, than the M5xi , and better Turrets, and the Bushnell was only bested once it got real dark. If you read all the posts here you would think the M5xi would crush it. I am sending it back.

I am also a Motorcyle guy.

 

[longshot2000]

they are both good scopes. I have a little bias toward Nightforce, and that is having been a Steiner supporter. Steiner does not make a bad scope. Not like some other Asian brands where quality is quite different between the lowest line and the highest line, all Steiner glass is damn good. Then again, so is Nightforce.

These are different scopes, and you like the SCR reticle. I am not a huge fan. The Mil-C and Mil-R on NF or MOAR are hard to beat. SCR is similar, but a matter of opinion. One is FFP and the other SFP. One is made for battle and you can throw it down on the concrete highway, adn the other you should not try.

Commercially, a used NXS commands a much better resale price than a T series Steiner. However, an M series is World Class. The turrets are worlds apart, so which do you like?

We might have very different tastes, and the only taste that matters is yours. You put the Bushnell in the same paragraph, and I would not, but scopes are like shoes. What fits you is most important. I do not think you can make a bad decision between a T-series Steiner and NXS.

 

[motorcycleboy]

they are both good scopes. I have a little bias toward Nightforce, and that is having been a Steiner supporter. Steiner does not make a bad scope. Not like some other Asian brands where quality is quite different between the lowest line and the highest line, all Steiner glass is damn good. Then again, so is Nightforce.

These are different scopes, and you like the SCR reticle. I am not a huge fan. The Mil-C and Mil-R on NF or MOAR are hard to beat. SCR is similar, but a matter of opinion. One is FFP and the other SFP. One is made for battle and you can throw it down on the concrete highway, adn the other you should not try.

Commercially, a used NXS commands a much better resale price than a T series Steiner. However, an M series is World Class. The turrets are worlds apart, so which do you like?

We might have very different tastes, and the only taste that matters is yours. You put the Bushnell in the same paragraph, and I would not, but scopes are like shoes. What fits you is most important. I do not think you can make a bad decision between a T-series Steiner and NXS.

I would say steiners reputation for toughness is just as good as Nightforce

 

[1911hombre]

I honestly thought the T5xi was better image quality, more forgiving eyebox and less CA, than the M5xi

I must have had a bad T5Xi, I guess. I currently have a Mk5 5-25, a Razor 4.5-27, and a big Weaver Tactical 6-30; any of these make the Steiner I had like looking through an old Dr. Pepper bottle. YMMV.

 

[chickon1]

I had a T5Xi and was very unimpressed with the glass. I am surprised you think the glass is better than your NXS. I got mine on a trade and really wanted it to work out but after mounting it and spending some time looking through it I sold it without ever heading to the range. If I was going to chime in on your question I would say to send the Steiner down the road and take that money and go with either a Razor Gen II 1-6, or if you want a little more mag a MK5 3.6-18x44 or for a little more moola an ATACR 4-16x42. i've had a couple P-308's and though solid and reliable (at least mine were) their accuracy threshold doesn't require a ton of mag. IMHO disclaimer.

I owned a T5Xi and my $400 FX1000 Nikon had better glass.

I just got a tract and like it better than my gen ii razor. Glass is also better for almost half the price.

 

[stradibarrius]

I have aSteiner M5xi and T5Xi plus a Kahles k624i. All 3 are extremely good and the quality of the glass is so close. When I first got the Steiner T5xi I sentit back to Steiner to repair the zero stop and parallax. It was quickly repaired and returned...no more problems.
I do not have ant experience with Night Force. As has already been said if YOU like one better than the other that's all that matters. I am a lot like you and am always curious if there is an issue that my research has revealed. Even though I have never owned a NF I know they are high quality scopes. All that counts is your experience.

 

[chickon1]

Different people have different opinion on glass. People perceive it differently as well. NXS to me has better glass, but if you want to take your scope off and beat someone with it, put it back on, and it will hold zero, go with the Steiner.

 

[Islas82]

I have aSteiner M5xi and T5Xi plus a Kahles k624i. All 3 are extremely good and the quality of the glass is so close. When I first got the Steiner T5xi I sentit back to Steiner to repair the zero stop and parallax. It was quickly repaired and returned...no more problems.
I do not have ant experience with Night Force. As has already been said if YOU like one better than the other that's all that matters. I am a lot like you and am always curious if there is an issue that my research has revealed. Even though I have never owned a NF I know they are high quality scopes. All that counts is your experience.

What were your parallax issues with the Steiner? I believe my parallax is not working properly.

 

[thehun]

Steiner nailed the glass in their LPVOs...not so much in the higher end magnification scopes...